NBA Draft Grades 2013: Scoring Every GM in the 1st Round

The 2013 NBA draft was expected to be among the most eventful in recent memory, with picks and players flying around trading cards Thursday night. Well, never let it be said that NBA teams failed to live up to expectations.

One of the more active Round 1s in history is in the books, with trades and surprising selections sending heads spinning at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. From the very moment that David Stern stepped to the podium and announced the No. 1 selection—Anthony Bennett of UNLV—it was quite clear that this would be every bit as hectic as advertised.

In the end, though, the draft worked like it does every year. Thirty young men saw their lives made on Thursday night, getting guaranteed contracts worth dollar figures beyond their wildest imaginations. And while the draft is always about congratulating those kids on their accomplishments, it's also about evaluating the accomplishments of the Association's 30 franchises.

Or their lack thereof.

By now, everyone with a working cerebrum knows that instant evaluations of draft nights are flawed. Teams draft based not only on their current needs, but on their long-term plans as franchises. We might see a player as redundant now; that doesn't have to be the case four months from now. Things change, and the punditry is often wrong about these things, regardless. It's all a bit reductive to sit and cast aspersions before these kids step on the court.

It is, however, possible to judge value, to look at a team's roster and do some deductive reasoning about what this means for their franchise and whether it's a good idea. That's especially the case during Round 1, where people who spend their lives scouting these players have a good idea of their real-life values.

With that in mind, here is a complete breakdown of the grades for every first-round pick.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Anthony Bennett (SF-PF, UNLV)

Grade: B-

So it took exactly one selection for the Cavaliers to send every mock draft in the world straight into the trash heap. Based on just about every piece of viable information available, Cleveland was between Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. When Bennett's name came off David Stern's mouth, the collective reaction was one of shock.

The value of this pick is a little questionable as a result.

From a talent standpoint, there's no question that Bennett is a top-five selection. He has a robust power game down on the low block, one that defanged elite defenders at UNLV. And there's also no question about how Bennett's game fits with the evolutionary style of the NBA; he can stretch out to the three-point line and is an explosive athlete in pick-and-roll situations.

Still, he'll be an interesting fit in Cleveland. The team took Tristan Thompson with the No. 4 pick in the 2011 draft, and he emerged down the stretch as a viable option at the 4. Bennett, while possessing some of the skills of a 3, projects more as a stretch 4 in the NBA.

It's possible that Bennett fine-tunes his game enough to become a viable 3, and the Cavs will be ecstatic is that's the case. But this is by no means a home-run selection.

2. Orlando Magic: Victor Oladipo (SG, Indiana)

Grade: A-

From the beginning of this draft process, I've touted Oladipo as my favorite player. One of the hardest-working players in this class, he seemed like by far the safest among a draft full of unsafe talent.

At the very minimum of his potential, Oladipo is an all-defensive-team stopper on the perimeter whom the Magic can try to hide offensively. If Oladipo ever finds consistency in his jump shot, those lofty comparisons to Dwyane Wade he received at Indiana could come to fruition.

The only minor quibbling one could have with this pick is fit. Orlando already has two young wings in Tobias Harris and Moe Harkless, neither of whom can shoot all that well. It's possible that a deal is in the works down the line, but it will be interesting to see how those players fit together when they share the floor.

But Oladipo? Yeah, he's going to be great.

3. Washington Wizards: Otto Porter (SF, Georgetown)

Grade: A

For the second straight year, the Wizards have a perfect fit land to them with the No. 3 selection. A year ago, it was Bradley Beal, a prototypical 2-guard who can absolutely stroke from beyond the three-point line. When John Wall came back after injury last season, the duo seemed to be developing an excellent chemistry together.

Porter is the player who can only keep that going. One of this draft's most unselfish players, there are few things Porter cannot do on a basketball court. He can defend both forward spots—though he'll need some more bulk to take on NBA 4s—and provides an array of offensive skills depending on the situation. He can stroke beyond the arc, pass well for a player his size and move without the ball.

There were some who question Porter's lack of "defining skills." But on a team with which he'll need to be flexible to fit, the former Georgetown star should be just fine playing close to his collegiate home.

4. Charlotte Bobcats: Cody Zeller (PF-C, Indiana)

Grade: C-

There comes a point in this draft where value trumps simply being enamored with a player. Had Noel or Len been off the board with at No. 4 in some strange twist of fate, then Zeller would have been a perfectly acceptable selection in this spot.

However, with both Noel and Len still hanging out on the board, it was jarring to see Charlotte pull the trigger on Zeller. The former Indiana product has impressed scouts in workouts by flashing a nice outside jumper to go along with his array of moves down in the post. He projects as a fine NBA player and has value inside the lottery.

Noel and Len—especially the former—are on another playing field of potential.

There's some part of me that wants to commend Charlotte for sticking to its guns and grabbing its guy. The other part, though, wants to scream about how wrong it was for the Bobcats to take a Zeller over two potential All-Stars in Len and Noel.

5. Phoenix Suns: Alex Len (C, Maryland)

Grade: B+

I would have gone with Noel or Kansas guard Ben McLemore at this spot, but it's hard to complain about grabbing Len at No. 5. Len is a more polished, safer bet to be an NBA center for the next decade, and ESPN's Chad Ford reported that McLemore was dreadful in his workout with the Suns.

With Len, Phoenix is getting a 7-footer with a ton of potential on both ends of the floor. There were questions about his competitive fire at Maryland, but it's hard to be effective down low when your guards literally cannot pass you the ball. Len got a ton of consideration from the Cavs at No. 1, and his presence should allow the Suns to shop incumbent center Marcin Gortat this summer.

Plus, with Len going to the league's best training staff, it's easy to feel good about his recovery from ankle surgery.

When the Pelicans made Noel the No. 6 selection, it was easy to envision John Calipari's last two defensive stalwarts (Noel and Anthony Davis) wreaking havoc for New Orleans in the middle.

That expectation lasted all of about two seconds.

As reported by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans quickly flipped Noel and a protected 2014 first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for point guard Jrue Holiday:

New Orleans has to feel like it got away with highway robbery here. The Pelicans are getting an All-Star point guard in a draft in which there may be no All-Stars. Holiday averaged 17.7 points and eight rebounds per game last season, emerging after a couple middling years to kick off his career. There's no telling how much Holiday can ascend from here, but New Orleans lands a major contributor at a need spot.

Hard to be mad at that.

Philadelphia's motivation is a little more questionable. Noel is an excellent player and a great value at No. 6. But his knee issues obviously were enough to make five previous teams pass, and this all but ends the Andrew Bynum experiment after just one season.

With Holiday having been the team's only promising young player, this is definitely a trade that will draw ire.

7. Sacramento Kings: Ben McLemore (SG, Kansas)

Grade: A

The Kings had to be nothing short of giddy to see McLemore last all the way to No. 7. While the former Kansas star saw his draft stock drop due to questionable workout performances and a shaky commitment to the game, Sacramento may have landed the best player in the entire class.

McLemore is a 2-guard in the classic mold, a player who can jump out of the gym and is lights out from the three-point arc. At many points during his one season at Kansas, McLemore was considered the likely first overall pick in the draft.

For the Kings, who might need a shooting guard with Tyreke Evans hitting restricted free agency this summer, this was a no-brainer. Taking McLemore had to feel much like when the team drafted DeMarcus Cousins in 2010 with the No. 5 pick.

There might be questions about McLemore's mental makeup, but there are none about his ability to play the sport.

He'll be a great fit for a still-rebuilding Kings franchise.

8. Detroit Pistons: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG, Georgia)

Grade: B

This selection might have been a surprise to some. The Pistons had flirted with moving Brandon Knight off the ball last season, where he thrived when Jose Calderon came over from Toronto. But the team's biggest overarching need was for a three-point shooter who could fill up the bucket.

Caldwell-Pope is nothing if not that style of gunner. While surrounded by questionable talent at Georgia, Caldwell-Pope still managed to emerge as one of the SEC's best players, despite constant pressure in his face. He's an excellent shooter from long range, though he will need to work on shooting off the dribble to fully reach his potential.

With Caldwell-Pope also testing acceptably in the athletic portion of drills at the combine, it's easy to see what Joe Dumars saw in him. It will take a little work to make Caldwell-Pope a guaranteed 20-points-per-game scorer, but he'll still have an instant impact.

Since the Timberwolves wound up making selections later in this round, we'll get to the grades of their individual picks later. The NBA on ESPN's Twitter feed had the details on the move, which sent Burke to Utah and the Nos. 14 and 21 picks to Minnesota:

For both teams, this deal was a bit of a no-brainer. The Jazz, in need of a point-guard infusion after the Mo Williams and Randy Foye era, get the man many considered to be the best at his position. Burke won every national-player-of-the-year honor while at Michigan and is the type of dynamic creator the Jazz bigs will need to succeed.

There are questions about his size and athleticism, but Burke's value—especially considering the relative cost—made this deal very strong from Utah's perspective.

10. Portland Trail Blazers: C.J. McCollum (PG-SG, Lehigh)

Grade: A-

If this pick works out, then Portland may be the place where small-school stars go to thrive. The Blazers hit a home run last year with Damian Lillard, and now they hope to do the same with McCollum, a man who has drawn many comparisons to Lillard.

Those aren't entirely apt, though. McCollum is much more of an off-the-ball scorer than Lillard, who can create for others almost as well as he scores. The former Lehigh guard could either fit next to Lillard in the backcourt in Portland or come off the bench as a microwave-scorer type.

Those who watched the Blazers play this past season know how badly they need help off the pine. They were last in the NBA in bench scoring, averaging just over 18 points per game. With McCollum's very basement being that of a third guard who can explosively score as a backup, Portland could have landed another real winner here.

11. Philadelphia 76ers: Michael Carter-Williams (PG, Syracuse)

Grade: B-

Taken in tandem with Philadelphia's first trade, their draft-night strategy starts to make sense. Philly is obviously pushing a strong youth movement, looking to blow up this current core and start anew with crop of players drafted by the current regime.

That's admirable in a way, but drafting Carter-Williams and Noel in the same draft gives me some hesitance. The knock on both coming out of school was that they were minus shooters. That's not exactly the way to reinvigorate an offense that's ranked consistently in the bottom half of the league since Allen Iverson left.

Carter-Williams is a tantalizing talent, no doubt. His ability to make plays and excel with court vision has been noted throughout his college career. One has to wonder, though, where the 'Sixers will find their offensive firepower next season.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Steven Adams (C, Pittsburgh)

Grade: B

The Thunder were expected to take a developmental player with the No. 12 pick, and they did just that. Adams improved bit by bit during his time at Pittsburgh and showed some nice touch at the scouting combine but is probably at least two years away from consistent NBA contributions.

With Kendrick Perkins under contract for the next couple years—he's staying, folks—Adams can come along at his pace without pressure to instantly become a star.

If developed properly, a star is exactly what Adams can become. He's a rare 7-footer with elite athleticism, shot-blocking prowess and (a still-developing) touch around the basket. Basketball IQ and offensive consistency need work, but let's just say Oklahoma City has some experience developing raw talent.

The Dallas Mavericks consummated their desired trade of the 13th pick, shipping it to Boston for the No. 16 pick (later traded) and two second-round selections, per Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:

With that selection, the Celtics walked away with Olynyk, a guy some had pegged to them at No. 16. The impetus for Boston moving up is unclear. Perhaps it caught wind that Olynyk would not be available a few picks later and felt comfortable dumping a couple second-round picks to get its guy.

Either way, I'm not all that thrilled with the selection. Olynyk projects as a stretch 4 at the next level, but it's unclear how good of one he will be. His athleticism numbers at the combine were abysmal, and his reign of effectiveness at Gonzaga is exactly one season.

If this is the man Danny Ainge plans on replacing Kevin Garnett with, next year could be a long one in Boston.

There comes a time in every draft process at which expectations go so far out of whack that a player is unfairly punished. Last season, it happened to Harrison Barnes. This year, it's Muhammad who received said treatment.

Expected to be the left-handed Kobe Bryant based on his high school career, Muhammad came to UCLA and had a very nice freshman campaign. He averaged 17.9 points per game and led the Bruins to the NCAA tournament. But with a few off-the-court questions dogging him and the unspectacular finish to his collegiate career—a first-round tournament loss—it was easy to walk away disappointed.

Nevertheless, Minnesota gets to reap the rewards of others underrating Muhammad as a player. He's a 2 or 3 at the next level who can finish at the rim and stroke out to the three-point line—exactly the type of player the shooting-bereft Timberwolves need in their locker room.

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF, Greece)

Grade: F

Draft grades are an inherently subjective process, one that I try not to go too hard on. But the rise of Antetokounmpo has been one of the stranger phenomenons in recent draft history. This kid's highest level of competition has been Greece's second division, a group of players who look like Y-Leaguers on film.

While Antetokounmpo flashes impressive skills on film, it's against competition so low that it's hard to have any notable takeaways. Had a team been willing to take a second-round risk on him, it would have been more than understandable. But the Bucks just gave a player who hasn't even played against U.S. high-school talent near-lottery money.

There are risks, and then there is jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. This is the latter.

Just when you thought the Mavericks were done dealing, that they had nailed their draft-and-stash destiny, Mark Cuban pulls a shocker. As noted by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski (sensing a pattern yet?), the Mavs sent the rights to Nogueira and Jared Cunningham to the Hawks for No. 18 and a second-round pick:

As for the Nogueira pick, it seems like an obvious draft-and-stash on Atlanta's part. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix noted that the Brazilian center would likely stick overseas for next season, which jibes with most expectations.

Once Nogueira comes over, though, he could be an interesting player. He's a shot-blocking fiend at the rim, a JaVale McGee-type athlete, though not quite at that level. The big man emerged in 2011, dominating in workouts before pulling out of the draft at the last minute. There's no telling when he'll be over, but Nogueira might yet live up to that promise.

17. Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schroeder (PG, Germany)

Grade: B

The Hawks are obviously pushing an international flavor, but they won't get a chance to stash Schroeder. ESPN's Chad Ford reported earlier Thursday that Schroeder was informing teams he has no desire to be kept overseas, that he wants to enter the NBA next season.

Considering Atlanta wound up keeping him, it seems Danny Ferry is quite comfortable with that. Schroeder is a raw, athletic point guard that needs a metric ton of seasoning. His basketball IQ isn't great at this juncture, and he's probably one or two years away from contributing. So that probably doesn't mean much for Jeff Teague, who is a restricted free agent this summer.

Schroeder is attractive to teams for what he can do two, three years down the line. He's built in the Russell Westbrook-Derrick Rose style, a score-first, pass-second attacking guard with insane athleticism. Equipped with a lightning-quick first step, Schroeder will be an awfully interesting name to watch—even if it's only in the D-League.

Judging this pick wholly depends on how the Mavericks view Larkin. If they are looking for a future bench spark plug, a seventh or eighth man who can come in and provide hard work and athleticism on both ends, this will work out just fine. Larkin is one of the more complete point guards in this draft and would have been a lottery pick if it weren't for his 5'11" stature.

For that alone, Dallas wound up making a commendable selection—just so long as the team doesn't expect an All-Star. There have only been eight players under the 6'0" barrier to ever be named to the Association's mid-winter festivities. And for all of Larkin's strengths, he doesn't overly excel at one particular skill; he's a jack-of-all-trades athlete.

Don't get me wrong; I love the pick. Just so long as the expectations are curtailed.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Sergey Karasev (SG-SF, Russia)

Grade: A

When we look back at this draft in a few years, Karasev might be remembered as the steal of Thursday night. A Russian swingman who can play the 2 or 3, he was considered a possible lottery selection. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski even reported that the Cavaliers were considering trading up to No. 13 with the intention being to land Karasev.

It turns out they didn't need to. Karasev slipped through the cracks amid mass chaos toward the middle of the round, leaving Cleveland sitting pretty to land this draft's best international player in my estimation. Karasev has a sweet stroke from beyond the arc, can finish at the rim with creativity and makes up for his lack of athleticism with ingenuity.

Though he's just 19 years old, Karasev might find himself starting for the Cavs next season.

20. Chicago Bulls: Tony Snell (SF, New Mexico)

Grade: B

For those looking for proof that Luol Deng might be on the trade block this summer, look no further. ESPN's Marc Stein had reported earlier this week that the Bulls and Wizards had exploratory talks about Deng heading to Washington, but nothing was consummated Thursday night.

That said, Snell's presence might put the writing on the wall. A long wing player with an excellent three-point stroke, Snell has long been a lottery-type talent without that level of consistency. Now, he gets to play for a coach in Tom Thibodeau known for bringing out every ounce of talent in his players.

Depending on what happens with Deng this summer, Snell could prove to be a great fit long term.

If we can take away anything from Flip Saunders' first draft back with Minnesota, it's that he wants instant contributors. Muhammad might be the most ready-made scorer in this draft, while Dieng could have played 10-15 minutes of defense for a playoff team this past season.

While the Muhammad trade might pay massive dividends, Dieng is more like a dent. At this point in his career, at age 23, Dieng mostly is who he will become as a player. He'll grab rebounds, play tough interior defense and give Minnesota next to nothing on the offensive end.

With the team expected to do everything to keep Nikola Pekovic, a restricted free agent, this summer, Saunders did well for himself landing a backup. If things go haywire and Dieng winds up as a starter for the Timberwolves, that's not so good.

22. Brooklyn Nets: Mason Plumlee (PF, Duke)

Grade: B+

This is obviously the most minor news of Brooklyn's evening. As reported by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets consummated a trade Thursday night to acquire both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics. They will now fully expect to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, with a luxury tax bill that will reach $80 million.

So it's no surprise that Billy King went with the safest selection possible at No. 22. Plumlee is an excellent athlete and rebounder who is still improving on his game despite being 23. Even if he doesn't improve, he has the motor and athleticism to contribute right away for Brooklyn.

With the Garnett-Pierce deal stripping the entirety of this team's flexibility, that means more than anyone knows.

23. Indiana Pacers: Solomon Hill (SF, Arizona)

Grade: D

For the second straight year, the Pacers sent mouths agape with their first-round selection. Last year, it was Miles Plumlee, an expected second-round pick who went to Indiana at No. 26. On Thursday, it was Hill, a 6'7" forward from Arizona who was on the fringes of even being drafted.

Yikes.

Hill was a very nice collegiate player at Arizona, emerging as a team leader his last two seasons. He can knock down the three ball with some level of consistency and could fill a need for an instant contributor, should he pan out. But with guys like Reggie Bullock, Allen Crabbe and Tim Hardaway Jr. on the board, this pick is a big reach at best and an abomination at worst.

One thing is clear: If the Pacers wanted Hill, they could have traded back and gotten him. That's enough to make his selection one of the worst of the night—if not the worst.

24. New York Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG, Michigan)

Grade: B+

The Knicks came into this draft needing someone who could step into their rotation right away. They have next to no cap flexibility and won't going forward barring some sort of miracle Amar'e Stoudemire trade. New York needed to find a player who could come in and fill a need and didn't have much of a learning curve.

Hardaway fits that mold perfectly. A team leader at Michigan, Hardaway will bring a veteran-like presence to the Knicks locker room. He's the son of former NBA guard Tim Hardaway, so it's not like he'll have to adjust to the Association lifestyle.

There isn't much else to say. Very nice pick here for the Knicks, especially considering the number of ways they could have gone wrong.

25. Los Angeles Clippers: Reggie Bullock (SG-SF, North Carolina)

Grade: B+

One could almost completely substitute every sentence written in the Knicks section with "Clippers" and call it a day. Los Angeles has some roster flexibility with Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler's expiring contracts, but it was also in a position where team needs called for an instant contributor who could knock down spot-up jumpers.

Enter Bullock. The North Carolina product emerged late last season in Roy Williams' four-guard lineup, becoming the Tar Heels' most reliable scorer and at times rebounder. He swallowed the pill of guarding opposing 4s, banging down low on defense while stretching out the opposition on the other end.

The learning curve should be low here, which is key for a Clippers squad that needed shooting.

This is where all the craziness starts going down. As noted by ESPN's draft tracker, the Timberwolves initially traded this selection to the Warriors along with guard Malcolm Lee for a haul that included a second-round pick next year and cash. Minnesota had already made two selections in Round 1, so this move wasn't much of a surprise.

Golden State then turned around and shipped the pick to the Thunder, who moved up from No. 29 to take Roberson. This would not be the first time the Warriors made our head hurt.

As for Roberson himself, he's an interesting pick for Oklahoma City. An undersized 4 who specializes in rebounding, the Colorado product isn't someone you'd expect to see coming off the board here. While a big-time athlete, he's almost a nonentity on the offensive end. His numbers actually went down from his sophomore to junior year, suggesting the minable talent here could be questionable.

That said, Sam Presti's track record finding undervalued talent is almost unmatched. It's not the pick I would have made, but it's not deplorable, either.

27. Denver Nuggets (Traded to Utah Jazz): Rudy Gobert (PF-C, France)

Nuggets Grade: C+

Jazz Grade: A

The Nuggets' selection of Gobert was a little curious when announced. They already have the better version of Gobert in JaVale McGee, though that version costs $10 million. But when it was announced that the team would trade Utah for the No. 46 pick (Erick Green) and some cash, per Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, it was a nod-your-head moment.

Denver needed shooting, but apparently it wasn't too keen on Crabbe. You see similar trades like this in the draft all the time, so it wasn't too offensive. Yet it's a source of wonderment that the Nuggets didn't pull the trigger on the Cal gunner.

Utah, meanwhile, walks away as one of this draft's biggest winners. Not only did it lock down its biggest need with Burke early in the round, but management came back later and acquired Gobert for peanuts. With Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap's futures with the franchise up in the air, this is definitely an acquisition that puts the team's worries at ease.

Gobert is a 7'2" freak of nature with a standing reach that puts him within mere inches of the rim. He's not the best athlete in the world, but he'll be able to protect the rim by his sheer presence in the NBA.

28. San Antonio Spurs: Livio Jean-Charles (PF, France)

Grade: B

I didn't get to see a ton of Jean-Charles' film, but what I did see was really impressive. He dominated at the Nike Hoop Summit this summer, an event that has fast become easiest way for an international prospect to increase his value. An explosive athlete with a defensive mindset, Jean-Charles will need to develop polish in his game to have an NBA impact. He was a borderline first-round talent, with all likelihoods pointing to his being overseas for at least another year.

The Spurs could use another contributor or two if they hope to make another NBA Finals run. Nevertheless, it's hard to question the long-term vision of R.C. Buford.

The Warriors' night-long swapping continued with the No. 29 pick, as they moved back one selection to allow Phoenix to have Archie Goodwin, per USA Today's Sam Amick.

Having already locked up a big, Phoenix is taking on one of the draft's biggest boom-or-bust picks here. Goodwin has all the athletic skills and seemingly the tools to be a Russell Westbrook-type player. But his broken jumper and inconsistent impact at Kentucky made teams shy away.

It was a long journey for Golden State to wind up with a player who probably would have been available midway through the second round. Nedovic is an interesting player, in that he's extremely athletic and attacks the rim with an NBA-level ferocity.

However, he's already 22, doesn't have a jumper and seems like a long-shot to find his way into the Warriors' rotation. With all of the trouble they went through to get here, you'd have expected Golden State to have had a better plan.